Editor”s note: This is the first in a five-part series highlighting Lake County”s varsity football teams as they prepare for the upcoming 2013 season. Lower Lake will be featured in Wednesday”s edition.
MIDDLETOWN — At 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, wide receiver Anthonie Guzman is one of the smallest players on the Middletown High School roster.
But nobody looms bigger in the offensive scheme that Bill Foltmer will employ in the 2013 season than Guzman, a junior who missed the latter part of last year”s Mustang campaign because of an injury.
“Last year when he got hurt we lost about a third of our offense,” the iconic Middletown coach estimates. “The guy backing him up just didn”t have the experience.”
Nor, for that matter, the athletic ability and speed to do what Guzman has shown himself capable of doing, which Foltmer describes as “taking a 1-yard pass and turning it into a 30-yard gain or beating you deep.”
So it was hardly a revelation that after Guzman “had a really good passing league,” Foltmer rated him the Mustangs” top receiver.
But, of course, for Guzman to show up that well somebody has to be getting the ball to him. Enter quarterback Josiah Amos, in whom Foltmer also has great expectations, going so far as to compare Amos” skill set with that of Kyle Harmyk, class of 2009 (at last report Harmyk was in contention for the starting quarterback assignment for Alabama A&M at NCAA Division 1A, which opens against Grambling on Aug. 31).
“I expect big things out of Amos this year,” Foltmer said. “I like what he”s been doing. He throws a good ball. I think he could play at the next level easily.”
Much like Harmyk, Amos is physically built along the lines of the classic string bean high school quarterback whose girth has yet to catch up with his height. His weight is the same as Guzman”s, but, at 6-foot-4, he”s seven inches taller.
“I remember we said the same thing about Harmyk — he was a tall, skinny kid who needed a little development – and Jake Strickler,” said Foltmer. “Both went on to play college football and got scholarships.”
So Foltmer sees in Amos a leader who will amp up the Mustangs” spread offense. Given his receivers, it”s not that much of a stretch. In addition to Guzman, there”s Barrett Southern, a punt returner, with his good hands and quickness; and Brad Bologna, who brings sure-handedness to the tight end position — he was the shortstop on the Mustangs” baseball team last season — and proven tenacity at any position he plays on defense. Foltmer said he looks for him to have a dominating season.
Potentially big years for Guzman and Amos are only two of the reasons Foltmer projects the Mustangs to be a factor in the North Central League I title race. He also sees the possibility of breakout years for lineman Wyatt Hall, an All-League honorable mention as a sophomore, and his two offensive line mates, Cody Chorjel, also a junior, and Ryan Carey, a senior, and on defense, middle linebacker Adam Cade.
“They got a year”s experience under their belt,” Foltmer apprises. “They know the system. They”re not very big (Hall, Chorjel and Carey weigh in at less than 200 pounds), but they”re fairly tough.”
The ball-carrying load of the Mustangs” run-pass balance will be more than capably shouldered by All-League tailback Austin Benson (1,193 yards, 16 TDs last season), a breakaway threat, and Brad Beckwith (483 yards, 6 TDs), who brings his powerful 6-foot-3, 200-pound dimensions to the fullback position Both are seniors.
Despite a 200-yard game last season, Beckwith was used sparingly as a ballcarrier and figures to be again this year because he also was an All-League middle linebacker and played on all of Middletown”s special teams in 2012. Foltmer said he needs to spread Beckwith around a bit.
“He needs to develop some consistency (at running back), but we also need to develop some depth behind him,” Foltmer said.
“With who we have coming back and keeping everybody healthy we will be right there in the (title) mix,” Foltmer assesses. “I”m fairly confident in our kids. I was a little disappointed in the dedication of some of them this summer, but when it”s time to go we”ll be fine.”
That time in Middletown”s 10-game season begins Sept. 7 at perennially tough Salesian, a traditional opening-game gut check for Foltmer teams.
Like all small-town schools with limited personnel, there”s no need for a depth chart. The Mustangs are a worrisome one-deep at virtually every position. And that”s Foltmer”s one concern. Without Guzman”s season-ending injury last year, who knows what might have been accomplished — especially against league champion St. Helena, which blew out Middletown?
“I can”t afford to get anyone hurt. There”s just a big, big difference between the starting group and the second team this year,” Foltmer asserts. “Unless you”re just loaded in a particular year, you gotta be good and you gotta be a little lucky. And you gotta have all your kids late in the season.”
When Foltmer is high on his team, Middle-town”s opponents need to proceed with caution. So maybe it”s time for them to hoist the yellow flag.
